Angleton knocks off Foster, advances to semifinal round

Angleton Wildcats Sincere Jackson (8) congratulates free safety B.j. Foster (25) after a fourth quarter touchdown during the high school football playoff game between the Foster Falcons and the Angleton Wildcats at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on Friday, December 8, 2017.

Angleton Wildcats Sincere Jackson (8) congratulates free safety B.j. Foster (25) after a fourth quarter touchdown during the high school football playoff game between the Foster Falcons and the Angleton

Angleton Wildcats Sincere Jackson (8) congratulates free safety B.j. Foster (25) after a fourth quarter touchdown during the high school football playoff game between the Foster Falcons and the Angleton Wildcats at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on Friday, December 8, 2017.

Angleton Wildcats Sincere Jackson (8) congratulates free safety B.j. Foster (25) after a fourth quarter touchdown during the high school football playoff game between the Foster Falcons and the Angleton

The Angleton Wildcats didn't need B.J. Foster to finish Foster in district last month. But they wouldn't have survived the rematch without him.

The University of Texas pledge rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns and was Angleton's only player with a reception Friday night - he had six for 89 yards - sparking a 41-10 victory over Foster at NRG Stadium.

"This is a good feeling for the team and our community," Foster said. "We worked real hard to get past (Foster), and hard work pays off."

The win puts the 5A Division I Region IV champ Wildcats (13-0) in the fifth round of the playoffs for the first time since 1958, when their fifth game was a 2A state-final loss to Stamford.

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They last made the state semis, then the fourth round, in 1973.

"My dad (retired coach Doug Roark) was a senior in high school (in 1958), and he's 81, so that tells you how long it's been," Angleton coach Ryan Roark said.

The Wildcats will face Manvel (13-0) in the state semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday at NRG Stadium.

"It's going to be a good one," Foster said.

The Falcons (9-4) were never in the first meeting, a District 27-5A matchup, despite Foster missing the first of four games with a knee injury. The Wildcats jumped out to a 14-point first-quarter lead en route to winning 34-7.

The rematch was a different story.

Angleton drove to Foster's 23 on the opening series but turned the ball over on downs on back-to-back incompletions by Seth Cosme, who was fortunate the first wasn't picked off for six by Christian Young.

Then the Falcons went on a 16-play, 68-yard drive that lasted 7:17. The clock-consuming possession, which included three third-down conversions - all on the arms and legs of fullback-turned-QB Quinton Oliver - kept Angleton's offense off the field. The Falcons settled for a 3-0 lead on R.J. Hunt's 26-yard field goal.

Angleton's star running back made the Falcons pay, with Foster finding a big hole on the first play of the ensuing drive and sprinting 67 yards for a 7-3 edge.

Foster's Stephon West scooped up a Foster second-quarter fumble and went 61 yards for a score.

The unbeaten Wildcats salvaged a 10-10 halftime time on Eduardo Rosales' 36-yard field goal.

It was Angleton's defense dominating in the second half that took a toll.

Oliver was sacked twice on the first series of the third quarter, forcing the Falcons to punt from their end zone on fourth-and-33.

Then Evrin Hawkins intercepted Oliver with 5:43 in the third quarter.

"I thought offensively we'd have a better game, but that's a testament to their defense," Foster coach Shaun McDowell said. "Their defensive line gave us trouble all night."

The Falcons stayed in the game by holding Angleton to a second 36-yard field goal by Rosales. But when Oliver limped off the field after a roughing-the-passer penalty, the Falcsons' hopes left with him.

Hawkins supplied his second interception on back-to-back series, picking off backup quarterback Grant Guzzetta on a deep pass attempt to set up Foster's 3-yard TD for a 20-10 advantage with 8:33 remaining.

"(Hawkins) is a big-time playmaker," Roark said. "He's been making those plays all year long."

Then the Falcons fumbled, and one play later Foster scored from 13 yards out.

Angleton went from leading 13-10 with 2:36 in the third to up 34-10 after Cosme scored on a 15-yard run with 4:01 left in the game

"It was never tight," Foster said. "We got to feeling them, and then in the second half, we showed them what's going down."

Tamerik Williams added 118 yards and a late 63-yard TD on 13 carries.

The Falcons finished with 15 penalties for 129 yards, three turnovers and only 100 total yards (91 on 40 rushes).

"We've got a bunch of kids who rally to the ball and have fun playing defense," Roark said.